THE DORMITION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD MONASTERY
IN MEGALOVRISO (AGIA DISTRICT – GREECE)

The Dormition of the Mother of God monastery is on mount Kissavos, at an altitude of 600
meters, near the village of Megalovriso, in the eastern part of Larissa prefecture. Its distance
from the city of Agia is ten minutes’ drive. That latter rural city is the administrative center of
our district.

The main focus of insterest is the church of the Dormition of the most holy Mother of God,
dating back to the 13 th century. It was officially proclaimed a protected byzantine monument
by the Archaeological Authority of Larissa prefecture. The churche’s frescoes were painted in
late 17 th century by the same group of artists who painted Saint John the Baptist’s monastery
near Anatoli village.

Within the monastery’s space very few ruins of the old monastic cells have been left.
Unfortunately, so far no reliable information coming from historical archives has been found,
discribing the monastery’s past history.
Elderly villagers from Megalovriso say that the last monks left the monastery during the
1930’s, due to lack of financial resources. Since then the deserted monastery served as one
of the village’s many chapels until early 2020.
In December 2019 father Athanasios Paravantsos, a hieromonk from Thessaloniki settled in
Agia city, intending to rebuild the deserted monastery using his own financial resources.
Since May 2021 father Athanasios settled in the rebuilt monastery, he is its first spiritual
director and works hard for its progress, both spiritual and material.